In Love and War
by Hglossy
Summary: Betty has been looking for an escape her entire life. When the U.S. enters World War II, she takes her chance and volunteers as a nurse. Cutting love from her life a long time ago, she has no problem saying no to desperate and wounded soldiers. When a mysterious young man comes through, however, she struggles to keep herself together. Will Betty be able to say no this time?
1. Preface

It was 1939 when the Second War finally began and the world erupted in chaos. Up until then, my life had consisted of order and routine that I had come to loath with every fiber of my being. My mother, the 'ever-so-perfect' Alice Cooper, seemed to devote herself to creating picture perfect daughters she could parade around town and rub in the faces of the neighborhood. Whether that was for our own good or to better her reputation was something I would continue to contemplate for life.

My sister Polly and I had grown up believing that we needed to dress, talk and eat the proper way in order to be seen as a true lady. Resulting in, hopefully, finding a man who would enjoy our company enough to take our hand in marriage.

It makes me sick.

My youth is the reason I had given up on love. I saw no point in parading around like a show dog in order to win the affections of some man just to become a piece of property for the rest of my life. Only ending with more little girls to be subjected to this fate.

Of course Polly managed to find her way out. Despite the situation landing her on her own, on the streets, with a status no one in our family could bear to associate with, it was a way out. I was seventeen when she told me in hushed tones what she had been hiding. The growing bump under her shirt we would later find out to be twin boys, from the man whose identity she would not tell even her closest confidant. When it could not be kept hidden any longer and the secret finally reached my mother, Polly was sent away at just a little over three months pregnant.

I was forbidden to know where she was, or have any contact with her or the boys. I lost my sister, as well as any possible future with my nephews. All the while Polly lost her spot in the Cooper family. Personally, I would rather have the latter.

So when word of the war finally reached our community of white fences, I took it as my chance of escape.

Escape from the firm, cold grasp of my mother. Her watchful gaze never resting, for fear of another "Polly situation." Instead, I wrote my name down on the clipboard of numerous names being passed around. I offered my services as a nurse, and my offer was accepted.

At 19 years old I was sent off, among many others, to tend to our country's wounded. My mother cried and screamed, hanging on to my stoic father as I walked from them.

I did not look back.


	2. A Touch Of Red

Betty tugged my hair tighter, pulling it from her scalp into the thin rubber band that she had trusted to keep her ponytail secured today. She looked at her reflection in the small, foggy mirror, knowing that it would not be long until her disheveled alter ego came through. She hoped she could keep her tidy appearance as long as possible. Wishful thinking.

"Betty, have you seen Veronica? She was supposed to help me pin my hair back…" Ethel trailed off looking out of the small rectangular window. She held her white nurse cap in her hand, reminding Betty to grab her own cap and pin it in place.

"She woke up much earlier than I did, I haven't seen her yet this- "

"Look what I found!" Veronica sang as she sauntered in to the small bunkroom, holding her hand up in the air with a wide grin on her face. Both girls looked to Veronica to see her holding up a tiny tin cylinder, silver in color.

"V! Where on earth did you find that?" Betty gasped and ran over to her closest friend. Ethel quietly walked to join the two girls, shyly peeking over their shoulders. Betty grabbed the small tin and opened it to observe more in depth. The bright red color immediately standing out from the dull environment they occupied.

"There is a lost and found basket going around the base, I couldn't find my notebook so I thought I would browse through and I found this! I snagged it before Cheryl could get her hands on it. Turns out my notebook was in the hospital the whole time." Veronica paused to wink. "Now I have my notebook and a lipstick!"

The three girls giggled and ran to the mirror as they took turns applying the smooth gel to their chapped lips. Lipstick was not something that any of the girls had prioritized when they had packed their things. Understandably, it was not something of great importance. However it was not until months in did they wish for something to bring a bit of light and cheer to the unbelievably dark situation they had entered.

Now, three years in, the tired women could not contain their excitement at the simple accessory.

"My mother never would have let me wear a color like this." The deep red was strong against Betty's milky white skin. "She would say it was too scandalous, gives people the wrong idea." She stopped to admire herself in the mirror.

"Well I think its beautiful, B. Of course now you'll be getting double the number of marriage proposals you usually receive." Veronica smiled wide, earning a small giggle from Ethel as the three began their walk to work. Betty just blushed and strode in silence.

"We should start a tally, I bet Betty could set a record!" Ethel and Veronica continued to make jokes on their short walk from their sleeping quarters to the hospital.

It was true that Betty did receive quite a few marriage proposals from the men who entered their base. She never thought anything of it, chucking it up to desperation and longing at a terrifying and painful time. If anything, Betty was just the first female face many of these men had seen in years.

Though the War has begun in 1939, the U.S. did not join until 1941. This is when Betty and the rest of the women had flown out to their base in New Guinea. That was three years ago, yet life before that point had quickly erased from their memory.

"Did something happen?" Veronica voiced her concern, pulling Betty from her thoughts. The three girls quickened their speed as they noticed commotion inside and around the hospital. There were more bodies than usual, both running around and on shabby stretcher beds. They stepped inside the building to find chaos. Their fellow nurses running back and forth with different supplies and equipment, beds being shoved around the room in a disorganized manner, and shouting. A deafening noise all together.

The three separated, each running to tend to an unaccompanied man. Betty stopped as a blood-covered hand reached out and grabbed her arm, a redheaded man looked up at her through his tears. She quickly noticed the source from which the blood had come from, a wound on his right lower arm. He returned to his previous position of holding his arm with his other hand once he had the blonde's attention.

"Please, Miss, you need to help me. I need you to find my friend; he is hurt worse than I am. It happened so fast and I lost sight of him. I told him I would stay with him. Please, he's my best friend I need you to save him. Please!" The words fell from his mouth as if he had no control. She listened carefully as she reached at his arm to try and get a better look at his injury.

"Shhh take a breath. We are working very hard to make sure you each get the care you need. I need to clean and wrap your arm so please stay still." She spoke quickly but clearly, all the while taking his vitals in record time. Something she had been able to master in the past few years.

"You will be alright, I just need-"

"No! Please, Miss!" She was cut off again. "I know I will be okay, but Jug needs help! I'm not sure the bullet is out of his body, please find him!" He was panting and had tear filled eyes, but his tone was nothing but serious. She kept his gaze for a moment, planning her next move of action. She didn't feel right just leaving when she could be cleaning the gash, but knew she wouldn't have much cooperation with this passionate man.

"Do you have any idea where he could be?" She swiftly searched for another nurse, hoping for someone looking for a job.

"They took me out of the truck before they got him. There were at least 30 men in the truck, he could still be outside." His relief did not slow him down, still overwhelmed no doubt. Thank you, Miss."

Betty ran to the doorway, looking past the running bodies to the parked trucks. Screaming men were still in the process of being carried from vehicle to bed. Some were carried straight away from the hospital; nothing could be done to the silent bodies.

She pushed her way through the mob to the back of the open trucks, looking inside for someone whom she had never laid eyes on.

"Jug!" She shouted the unusual word, which the redheaded man had used to refer to his friend. She shouted the name numerous times into the back of each of the trucks, disregarding the confused and pleading looks she knew she was getting. She began to turn back towards the hospital, deciding she would keep an eye out while she continued inside. She could not waste the day searching when there were dying men surrounding her. She felt the familiar half-moon shaped scars on her palms as her hands turned to fists in frustration.

"He's here!" She heard a muffled shout from the back of the truck she had just passed. Her eyes widened and her feet took off into the dark, crowded space. She shouted, hoping for the voice to direct her.

A young man was sitting up to the best of his ability in the corner. He was tall and lean, his dark hair still slicked back despite the helmet I'm sure he previously adorned. He held on to another man who lay in his lap, his eyes tightly closed. He was clutching his abdomen, visibly shaking. This, she assumed, was "Jug."

Betty knelt down beside the men and put her hands over his, gently stroking the surface of his with her thumb. His eyes fluttered until they could keep themselves open and held her gaze for what felt like hours. She had to lean closer to hear his quiet mumble.

"It's a pleasure, Miss. I'm Jughead."


End file.
